Someone Else's Life
by typicalteen29
Summary: HDSLASH! Trapped in a foreign body, losing himself to a new life, can the BoyWhoLived keep his sanity and remain unchanged?
1. Prologue

AN: Soo…first official Harry Potter fic. Yahhhh nervous laughter I hear the HP fandom can be pretty brutal. I know, I've seen some friends end up in the hospital or that creepy cemetery down the street. They are sorely missed.

Well, then. On to business! AND! The next chapters will be SIGNIFICANTLY longer. This one is short only because it's the prologue, and I need it to be… for purposes I'm sure I will one day realize. At the moment, I have an outline 'thingy' in my head. Also, if you're confused, sorry. It's _supposed to confuse you. _I guess. Now that I said it.

Disclaimer: O.O A-a-actually own Harry Potter? Gods… IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL! EEEE! eyes widen in alarm at the sound of a briefcase opening BUT I DON'T! And unless the rights to Harry go up on Ebay, I won't ever! So, uhh, you can just close the briefcase. Good lawyer. Good.

On to Chapter One then…

Prologue 

Let's just stop,  
Drop everything,  
Forget each other's names,  
Can we please just walk away?  
It could be...could be...  
Like we never knew each other at all.

"Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute on the Creek" by Chiodos

--::--

"Albus."

The aforementioned man sighed; looking every bit his hundred and fifty years. Pulling on a silver beard, he smiled at the face of his colleague. Despite the frantic scramble the Order had fallen into over the last month, she remained as prim as ever. Not a hair wisped out of place in her bun, severe eyes calculating the Headmaster discreetly.

"Perhaps sleep is in order," Minerva McGonagall said, clasping her hands in her lap. The leather chair squeaked uneasily under her weight. From her new position, the shadows appeared to lengthen and converge on Dumbledore, reflecting off his half-moon spectacles.

"Ah, I have indulged already today." He replied. "Is there word on Harry's location?"

McGonagall pursed her lips at the flippant dismissal. He was exhausted, pale skin stretched over even paler bone. Dark rings had formed, hiding the vibrant twinkle that normally inhabited his eyes. It was unlikely, even with magical aide, he would last much longer.

"No."

Dumbledore sagged, downcast.

"A month…" He paused. "Is a long time for Harry Potter to go missing." _And be found alive. _

Listening outside the crooked door, Sirius flinched. The unspoken statement burned like embers, faint but scathing. Building his determination again, for the tenth time in the last hour, he ignored the implications. Striding down the stairs, he went to join the others hard at work.

After all, he had a godson to find.

--::--

Halfway across the world for what it mattered, Hermione Granger cursed viciously.

Dumbledore had asked for her assistance in brewing a Locator Potion with Professor Snape, and surly attitude aside, she had jumped on the opportunity. Ron was off on a similar mission, having taken the news harder than expected. She had been left behind to twiddle her thumbs, sitting in the dank Grimmauld house and worrying.

"Why isn't this working?" She cried, tossing her hands in the air. Sleep had not come quickly the night before and after half a day of slaving over a hot cauldron, Hermione was easily tempered.

Severus Snape resisted the urge to roll ebony eyes, and glanced up. For a know-it-all, she had performed impressively in the last few weeks.

"Did you add the Finnwig tail?" He inquired.

"Yes! Perfectly, three counter clockwise strokes after I added the powdered moon leaves. I did everything exactly as the directions state." Hermione said, fuming. Her cauldron bubbled ominously, turning a sickly shade of violet.

Eyeing the suspicious potion, Snape approached. Hermione jumped when she noticed he had swooped down directly behind her, still surprised at how quietly he walked. Although it bubbled and splattered bits of purple ooze, he saw nothing potentially harmful.

"Very well. Start again."

He was three feet from his own cauldron when he heard the anguished sob. Stunned, Snape took in the sight of Hermione Granger holding back tears, leaning over another ruined Potion.

"Again? I can't do it again. We don't have time, Harry could be in trouble right now. If it were me he wouldn't stop until he had solved this stupid formula!" Hermione said, wiping at her eyes. "It's been a month, Professor. I'm not naïve, I know the likelihood that we'll f-find him, but it's hard. Harder than I thought it would be. Not caring."

Hermione bit her lip, and with a strangled cry, knocked the cauldron off the desk. It landed with a horrible crash, banging across the stone floor deafeningly. Purple potion spilled, a tidal wave of Hermione's accumulating anxiety and grief. Snape didn't flinch, observing emotionlessly. He had learned something of his student, in the time they had spent together. Something that both awed, and terrified, the Potions Master.

"Draco would say I'm acting like a first year Gryffindor."

"You are," Severus responded. He was not one to blunt the truth, no matter how cruel it might sound. Instead of an explosion of rage, like he anticipated, she laughed.

"I am, aren't I?" She sobered, and tilted her head in such a way curly locks hid her face. When she spoke, the laughter had completely vanished. Intense alarm filled her tone, as if masking a deeper truth. "Harry once told me, on a night when it was cold and lonely, what he wanted more than anything."

The witch glanced up, and Snape started. Any trace of tears had left, and what remained was a difficult fact.

"Can you tell me, Professor, how often you have longed for death?"

--::--

"I see. Yes, yes of course, I understand." Narcissa's voice murmured in the dying light. "No, he'll be there. I expect it to come soon. We have everything of value packed, stored… Possibly. Considering recent events, Hogwarts is the only option we can humanely suggest."

Draco did not need a spy to tell him who his mother was speaking about. The quality of her voice had dropped a few octaves, as it often did when she referred to her son.

"See you then. Good-bye."

An inaudible pop, and Narcissa was swinging the doors open. Her features were carefully schooled to hide her fear. Draco had never appeared so despondent, as if he had lost the will to live. If there was a time she chose to interfere, it wouild have to be now.

"That was Molly. She wanted to make sure we were coping. Love, are you all right?" Narcissa said, setting a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't looked up from the fire, entranced.

"Fine," he lied.

"_Going to jump, Potter?"_

_The frail boy jolted, hands reaching out to clutch the edges of the windowsill. Despite it all, Draco had to admit that when he entered the Astronomy Tower, he had not anticipated the scene. Harry Potter, standing nearly over the edge and staring down as if enthralled. While he might not openly tell anyone, Draco was terrified. _

_Harry frowned, eyes darkening as he recognized Draco. _

"_What do you want, Malfoy?" _

_Draco's felt his face turn up in to a sneer. It came so easily these days._

"_I want a lot of things, but right now I'll settle for knowing why Dumbledore's Golden Boy is about to off himself." Draco replied smoothly, inching closer in case he would have to lunge forward. No need to stop him if he was too far away. _

"_I wasn't going to jump." _

_The words were weak and rang of hollowness. Draco barked out a laugh, disbelief coloring his pale features. _

"_Is that so? Then why are you practically dangling from that ledge?" He paused. "You do realize, once you let go, there is no going back."_

_Harry turned back to stare in shock. For a moment, Draco wondered if he had said something wrong, the way the smaller boy was staring in such fascination. Until he smiled and Draco stopped breathing. _

"_Ah, but then why else would we choose to fall?" Green orbs enlarged, fixated on the moonlight gleaming under blonde bangs. "Can it be the rush? That intoxicating highness sending us spiraling into the unknown, until we realize that we weren't rising but plummeting? It's madness. Or love."_

_As he spoke, Harry turned out to the stars and something decidedly bleak crossed his face. _

"_Maybe both then. After all, if love is falling headlong into something unexpectedly beautiful, should it not be considered madness to embrace it?"_

_Draco shuddered at the raw emotion on his face. There was a touch of primal instinct to it, a piece of its attraction that he couldn't place. Yet it was a big piece and it consumed the rest. _

_Harry's heel slipped slightly, hanging out in the open air. Draco jerked in sudden terror, throat closing as he replaced his mask. His arms lowered to his sides slowly. The reaction had been pure reflex. Once he gazed up, he met two serious, entirely grave emerald eyes. _

"_If I fall Draco, will you too?"_

_A dizzying heartbeat passed before Draco finally, painfully, understood what the boy was telling him. Not in a liberal sense but an undercurrent, desperately hoping he would catch it but not expecting it. The revelation was life altering. _

_Staring at Harry, Draco knew what he had been hiding. _

"_I wasn't going to jump." The unspoken words burned the atmosphere, halted time in its hurtfulness._

_**At first.**_

"_Pot-Harry. Are you okay?" _

_His face lowered in to shadows, turning from him in shame. The hands gripping the windowsill constricted until the knuckles were bone-white in the darkness. Harry was shaking, and deep abrupt sobs were heaving out of his chest. _

"_No." His voice was surprisingly strong, contradicting the pain that radiated off his form._

_Draco Malfoy was the first person to see. _

_Harry Potter was _breaking

--::--

Wormtail chattered excitedly, success animating his rat-like features. Squat legs scuttled him quickly toward his waiting Dark Lord. His master would be so pleased with him that there might not be a punishment for the delay. Fantasies of promotions or praise glimmered in his unusually elated mind. Perhaps, with the retrieval of this information, he might earn the respect due.

It was a good day for the betrayer.

Sweeping into the room, he immediately began to grovel, spitting words of flattery and subservience.

"Oh my lord, my lord, today Salazar himself smiles upon you. Ah yes. Such fortune, such good fortune…" Wormtail twittered, nose bouncing across the darkly marbled ground with each rushed word.

Lord Voldemort sneered in disgust, waving his hand impatiently.

"The news, Wormtail!" He hissed, scarlet eyes surveying the mousy man. Briefly he wondered if killing him would put the hideous creature from its misery. At the foot of his throne, Bellatrix appeared to be thinking along the same thread, because she had recoiled the instant he came through the archway. Such menace in her eyes, Voldemort could feel the intention slide from her like slime.

"Oh, of course, my lord. They have found him, so quickly. Your best Death Eaters!" Wormtail began bowing again.

"_Where?_" Voldemort snarled, fingers twitching to the engraved wand at his side.

"The Forbidden Forest, master." Wormtail replied quickly, sensing the rage in the seated man. His self-preservation had never been so finely in-tune.

Voldemort considered this information, stroking Nagini slowly. The powerfully snake uncoiled, drawing up to eyelevel. She had been paying close attention, like always, to the conversation between her master and his slaves.

**Too close to Hogwarts, the home of enemies. This is ill favored.** she hissed her displeasure, snapping impatiently at Wormtail. The man inched away cautiously, nose tweaking in fear.

**Yes, Nagini. Very much so.**

"Bellatrix." Voldemort said, eyes landing on her. The woman reacted, kicking Wormtail aside and kneeling before him. She was perhaps his most loyal Death Eater, and he trusted her a considerable amount.

"Yes, master?"

"Go with the Death Eaters hunting Harry Potter. Find him in the Forest and stop him from reaching Hogwarts. Do not let him breach those grounds! He is untouchable within the wards."

"Yes, master. If I may speak?"

Voldemort curled a lip and clasped his wand.

"Speak."

"How am I to recognize Potter?"

Voldemort leaned back in his throne, regal in his darkness. She met his eyes daringly, filled with determination and will. At a time, in the beginning of his reign, he had admired her spirit. Now it created problems, caused irritation. Freeing her from Azkaban had been only to reclaim more prominent, loyal followers.

"Very well. Travel as an animagus, but Bellatrix?" Voldemort narrowed his gaze as she stood and dropped her head. "Kill him, and I will be greatly displeased."

Wormtail curled into himself as she passed. The woman snapped, lunging toward him mockingly. His beady eyes followed her until they had disappeared around the door. Gazing back to his lord, he bowed to see the lustrous redness on him.

"I suppose, Wormtail, you want a prize for your delivery."

Dread settled in the pit of the betrayer's stomach as the most fear Dark Lord raised his pale wand. A demented gleam heightened the scarlet eyes, absorbing the darkness in the chamber.

Nagini chuckled from her perch atop the throne, basking in screams.


	2. Can We Find What We're Missing?

- - Harry speaking

AN: Unbeta'd. Ignore the mess. If there is one (hopefully not!)

**Can We Find What We Are Missing?**

Time takes its toll on us (this changes everything).  
I'd be a liar if I denied you at all.  
Oh, now that I know,  
This changes everything.

And the amplifier screams out loud for the last time.  
Wave your hands at the audience as you sink on in.  
First chance to hide, you need desperately so, find me, so.

_-"The Great Golden Baby" by Circa Survive_

--::--

Harry stopped.

He had been running for hours it seemed, long since he had become lost in the dank heart of the forest. Instinct had been guiding him like a beacon to the magical pull of Hogwarts but each step only seemed to push him further away. The castle itself must have been repelling Harry's desperate drive for safety.

Days were passing him by, and still he ran.

Each time he chose to stop, to wait it out, they found him. Death Eaters wrapped in dark robes and masked by skulls. He had noticed they weren't trying to kill him. Somewhere in the chaotic scramble of shouts and hooves and danger, they were ordered to disable. Even after bowling through a throng of the monsters, no dangerous hexes were cast. Harry wondered how long it would be before his magical immunity to the stunners wore off, and they started having an effect. Already he could feel the sluggish drag of multiple _stupefy's_.

Not even a unicorn can withstand magic Harry mused, stepping delicately through the brush. It had not taken long for him to adjust to the heftier but lithe body of the unicorn. Four legs had been a challenge, especially when he had been bombarded by the first wave of Death Eaters. That was a messy affair.

Flicking his tail in annoyance, it ripped free of the thorny bush. The one clear sign that he was even headed in remotely the correct direction was the increasing Acromantula webs appearing. Twice he had had to free his horn, which protruded a good two feet from his forehead.

It was a weightless hazard.

Harry, dipping past a particular vicious looking web, slipped stealthily through the woods. The last ambush had been over an hour ago and the extended silence seemed worse. It screamed danger more strongly than the attacks had ever.

Snorting, Harry splashed through oddly colored water.

He knew, acutely, that had Voldemort chosen any other form for him, he would be dead. Obviously the snaky man had misjudged the true immortal abilities of possessing and controlling a unicorn body.

The other option?

Voldemort knew too well the effects, and it was the precise reason he had chosen it for Harry. Who was coincidentally his enemy. Who coincidentally now lived in a body with some of the most magical blood properties in existence.

Considering his infamous luck, Harry guessed it was the latter.

A twig snapped in the distance.

-That was just cliché enough to worry me- Harry said nervously, tensing. His ears scanned the woods, finding nothing out of ordinary. Yet the trees were quieter, and the wind itself had stopped blowing. No animals rustled in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

If there was a creature scary enough to scare the Forest, Harry wanted no part of it.

Shoulders rigid, he turned to move on again but froze in alarm. Sometime in his walking he had forgotten to keep to the thickets. He had literally backed himself up against the edge of a clearing, no less than the length of a Quidditch pitch. A river flanked one side, and the other was in the direction of the snapping twig. He had no choice. Scattered thorn bushes and impossibly dense shrub lined the trees surrounding the clearing. It was a perfect place for an ambush, perfect enough that the Death Eaters may have herded him to it.

Going across would be dangerous. Deadly. Out in the open, there would no cover, no retreat. Precious minutes would pass before he could reach shelter. His only defense was the horn on his head, and Harry wasn't about to go stabbing people.

Survival. Reaching Hogwarts and Draco. That was the most important thing at the moment. If he made it-when he made it-Dumbledore could change him back. Until that time, tackling the majority of evil in the Forbidden Forest.

Moody's, 'Constant vigilance' rippled through his mind.

-Merlin, where did my Gryffindor courage go?- Harry wondered dryly, and decided. The sooner he continued on, the sooner he reached his destination.

Stepping forward on silent hooves, Harry moved in the clearing. His ears swung about crazily on his head, and every scrunch of the grass made him start. Head lowered, eyes scanning the tree line, he walked with cautious urgency to the looming darkness. Moonlight bathed his form with silvery movement. Not a creature stirred, subdued by some outside being. Clouds drifted over the sky, blotting the stars before traveling on languidly.

Alarms whined in his head. He was so close he could almost taste salvation. Another twig snapped, this time sounding oh-so deliberate. Harry snorted and stopped walking, one leg lifted.

Something else he had quickly grasped about the unicorn mind and body. It was glued firmly in the fight or flight reflex, more than likely choosing to fly. Once instinct took over, Harry was a 'backseat driver'.

He inhaled.

The sharp, pungent smell of cat reached his nostrils, sending him into a fit. Every muscle tensed and he swung his head angrily, putting his back away from the predator. The metallic taste of blood lay thick in his mouth, permeating the air.

Golden eyes observed him hungrily from the dark, stilled. One lazy paw extended out into the moonlight. As the lanky panther approached, a fainter reek came to Harry.

As a wizard, he would not have recognized the waft of human woman. As a unicorn, he remembered everything about that night, and what she caused.

_bellatrixpanthereatkillrunblackcomingfleebadbadbadbad_

Harry recoiled, neck straining high. His thoughts ran together fluidly until he no longer processed normal speech. He stopped thinking. The ageless demand of survival gushed through his veins, adrenaline seizing his heartbeat and sending it tripping in to a race.

_bellatrix_

The panther licked its lips, fangs glinting sadistically.

Harry screamed a challenge, rearing on hind legs as the cat rushed in. Clumsily, he dropped to all four hooves, claws passing over his back safely before bolting. Sending a hoof flying where she landed, he clipped her on the side of the jaw. The cat spat, knocked off its paws and tumbling in a daze.

Bolting, he ran wildly, clinging to the last human desire he had known. Reaching Hogwarts, reaching Draco. A furious roar resounded throughout the woods, scattering sleeping birds to a starry sky. Coaxing more speed to compensate the terror, Harry galloped, jumping a fallen tree effortlessly. A limb above rattled, sending jet of leaves sailing to the forest floor.

In his panic, he had nearly forgotten to pay attention to his hunter. The cat, having sensed the jump, positioned herself in the treetops. Mid leap, she landed heavily on the prey's back, both going down in a terrible crash. The breath was knocked out of Harry, claws gouging threatening lines down his side. Silver blood splattered across the ground. Slick mud offered no purchase as he grappled to free himself.

Rolling, Harry dislodged the cat and rose. Ever elegant, the panther swung in a tight circle, barring bloody fangs in a crouch. The time for running was over. He doubted he could even walk as violent pain throbbed up the length of his back leg. This he hid from the cat, not wanting it to have any more of an advantage. Lowering his head, Harry branded the translucent horn like a spear.

Blood cascaded down his side, pooling around his hooves.

Tracing a circle around one another, the two opponents waited. Harry slipped feebly, and the panther purred. She may have been unharmed but Harry was tired, losing blood fast, and magically bogged down. There was no contest here.

-I…need help-

Harry choked on the taste of copper.

-Little horsie, think you can flee? It's been a long time since I tasted unicorn flesh- Wicked giggles erupted from her mouth, and her pupils dilated. Harry felt the tension snap with a slapping twang.

Bellatrix growled, lunging with lightning speed. Harry twisted his head and managed to graze her side, slicing through fur and skin. She shrieked in pain but wasn't deterred, and fangs ripping into his neck. Harry gasped, grunting as icy agony flooded his veins. Her weight pulled at his neck, dragging him back to the ground. Knees buckling, they both collapsed, Bellatrix growling low in her throat.

His horn had lodged in her back leg, and he doubted she would walk on it anytime soon. It was a miniscule victory but one he treasured. Wheezing, the edges of his visions fuzzy, Harry abruptly missed Sirius. They hadn't had the time to really talk, about life, about everything.

It didn't matter.

She was killing him.

Bellatrix went rigid, gold eyes wide on his glossy green ones, and her growls ceased. She instantly removed her fangs, ripping back from him and mewling at her hind leg. Harry, determined not to die without a fight, pined his horn in her direction but the act of moving his neck proved too much. He collapsed weakly on a tree, legs quivering.

Panting, Harry Potter began to bleed to death.

A shriek rent the night and from the treetops massive spiders coalesced on Bellatrix. Hissing in shock and fright, she turned and vanished into the shadows. Her prey would not go far.

Harry rolled his eyes anxiously but made no move to flee.

One spider, looking startling familiar, limped within sight. _Ah, _Harry chuckled faintly. _I think we hit that one with Ron's car._ Opening and closing its fangs, it leaned so close he could see his pathetic image in every eye.

Using the last of his strength, he swung his horn awkwardly.

The spiders laughed.

"Relax, unicorn that is not unicorn. We have not come to eat you. Word reached us of a black stallion roaming the forest, searching for the gates of Hogwarts. Other word spoke of a foreign shadow trailing it."

Its sibling shoved the smaller spider aside.

"Father wishes us to save you. He has spoken with the one called Hagrid. We will take you closer to Hogwarts, though you are close yet."

Through a buzzing mind, he felt the pull of hairy legs on his back, heaving him on to his hooves. Harry couldn't resist but instead allowed their guidance, as they wisely chose the smoothest path. There were moments when they paused momentarily to reroute and Harry slipped in trails of his own blood. There was a time when they supported him fully, others coming to lend help.

It was not long before they had detached themselves and drifted back into the woods. The first two females stayed, assessing him meticulously.

"We may take you no further, body-borrower. Daylight approaches. Hagrid will now of your coming and be waiting. We wish you luck, for there is a stretch you must traverse."

She glided up behind concealing leaves. The last removed her few webs and watched him sway unsteadily.

"Visit us, Unicorn. My Father and many siblings will want to know your story, sad though it may be. If you survive, come here and call for me. I am Akiilay, and I will not ignore you." With that, the creature was gone.

Harry did not hesitate. He knew time was of the essence, and there was a slim chance he would make it alive.

He was in so much pain.

Emerging from the trees, limping on three legs, his blood thinning, he took in the sight. Harry shuddered to see the lake again, memories of his years at Hogwarts assailing his mind.

Memories of Draco.

_Draco._

Pain and weakness was ignored. The rush to see him was all consuming. Whinnying, Harry Potter cantered up the hill, his rear hoof shrieking protest with each step. Nothing could prevent him. Draco was here, in the school. He could feel it, singing in his blood, singing in the air.

The achingly familiar scent layered the bridge and he scaled the steps, screaming across the rickety old construction. His vision was blurring dangerously at the edges, and he stumbled, tripped over his hooves.

Harry couldn't breath.

He erupted into the school, toward the Great Hall. Draco was there, he had to be, eating breakfast, waiting, waiting.

Harry couldn't breath.

Blood filled his mouth and trailed down his chin as he slowed to an exhausted walk. There was distant shouting behind him, someone large and possessing of a booming voice. Hagrid. But Hagrid wasn't why he was here, Hagrid only wanted to help…him…

Stepping into the archway of the Great Hall, the inhabitants of it screeched to a halt. They had been coming to see what the problem was, to see the fuss.

Harry stopped breathing.

In the crowd, holding Hermione back protectively, Draco was bathed in early morning sunshine. His normally emotionless face was ghostly pale with alarm, and his light, light blue eyes, flecked with gray, were wide in horror.

But he had never looked more beautiful.

Harry stopped fighting.

--::--

"Snivellus! Pass the bacon!" Sirius demanded, and magically encouraged bacon bits flew through the air. Hermione laughed but still reprimanded Severus, laughing as the ex-Marauder delicately pulled food from his hair. Remus had dodged, having seen the flick of the wand discreetly at the Potion Master's side.

He loved Sirius, but not enough to smell like bacon.

"Your welcome." Snape smirked, sipping pumpkin juice. The entire table laughed, glad to ease some of the tension that had begun to fit into their days. It felt good to relax a moment.

Was that a whinny Draco heard?

_Now I'm hearing things._ He remarked, sighing. Sirius, ever the perceptive fugitive, noticed his sullen mood but didn't speak. Narcissa had verbally beat him up for twenty minutes with her icy demeanor and forked terrorization. Her marriage in Malfoy bloodlines had only sharpened the naturally vicious personality she sported. Out of respect, and terror, he left the teen alone.

"When do you leave Hermione?" Remus asked politely, aiding Sirius's bacon removal. She glanced up from the generous amounts that had mysteriously heaped on her plate.

"Not at all. Dumbledore believes it would be best if I remained at Hogwarts until Christmas vacation. Apparently Death Eaters were sited by the Order outside Hogsmeade." Hermione replied and the table hushed.

"Hogsmeade? So close." Remus murmured, eyes hooded. "It's a good thing we all arrived yesterday."

"Damn them. They think they can push the boundaries, then fine! We just need to show them what belongs to who!" Sirius, activist of the lot, declared by pumping a fist in the air. Eyeing his mate, Remus patted his arm indulgently and shuffled a neglected breakfast closer.

"Of course. Eat your eggs."

"What I don't understand," Hermione said. "Is why they were in Hogsmeade. There hasn't been any whispers of attacks or raids all summer." _Since Harry vanished. _

"If anything, You-Know-Who is being entirely too quiet. He has not spoken to any of his Inner circle besides Bellatrix in a month." Snape curled his lip. "He's plotting."

Remus, fork inches from his open mouth, froze. His hand went limp, silverware clattering to the table. He took another breath, thicker with a scent that brought both tears and relief to his eyes.

Whatever Sirius was about to say in rude response to Snape was deafeningly interrupted. A loud crash ricocheted through the Hall, the sound of wards shuddering. Instantly wands were held aloft, chairs screeching from under their people as they stood. Hagrid's booming voice eased some of their worry but it sounded distressed, anguished.

Remus exploded from his seat, using his werewolf strength and speed as added leverage. He had hoped uselessly for it to be Harry. As the clamor of hooves reached him, and an impressive black form galloped into sight, he slid to a stop. Everyone stalled at the doors, horrified and awestruck at the spectacle.

At first glance it was a gorgeous black unicorn, pearl horn transparent in the morning light. His mane flowed gracefully behind him as he slowed, hooves catching the tiled floor. Every inch of him rippled with sleek muscle and suppressed power, a grace rivaling any felines. Green orbs bright with intelligence surveyed the cluster of humans, filled with triumph.

At second glance, the shimmer on his coat was not simple luster from health. Nor from sunlight.

And he was not walking slow to be beautiful but because he was in agony.

By the third glance, it had been taken in. The mangled sides torn deep enough that bone gleamed behind silver blood. Blood that had streaked rivers down his sides, so much that it seemed unlikely he could remain standing. The twisted hind leg, crooked at an awkward angle and very broken. The sagging head and filmy eyes.

The unicorn breathed deeply once and released the air with a whicker.

Hermione cried out in a strangled scream as the animal toppled over, crashing to the ground limply. Snape had come forward to shield the witch from the unexpected sight, gripping Draco's arm as he started forward.

Hagrid erupted into the corridor, intent on the dying unicorn.

"Quick! Fetch Madam Pomfrey! NOW!" He roared, uncorking a bottle of clear liquid and shoving it down the unicorn's open mouth. Snape hurried away on long legs, swiftly disappearing in a swirl of robes.

Hagrid lifted the creature with ease, no doubt fueled by necessity, and charged for the stables.

Trailing very sedately behind the others, Remus shuddered.

…_Harry… _


	3. Overlooking What We're Looking For

**Overlooking What We're Looking For**

_I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothin new  
I loved you with a fire red-  
Now it's turning blue, and you say...  
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you  
But I'm afraid..._

"Apologize" by OneRepublic

--::--

_"This is ridiculous."_

_Harry glared from behind thick glasses, pulling his knees closer. He didn't appreciate the interruption anymore than Draco welcomed meeting like they had been. _

_"Than go to the Astronomy Tower." _

_Draco snorted. _

_"You're always there! It doesn't matter where I go, you're there." Draco dropped his arms and sent him a deadpanned look. "Are you stalking me? I don't like it." _

_"Considering the situation Malfoy, I would have to say you're following me." Harry returned to staring out over the moonlit water. "Go to the Astronomy Tower."_

_"Why should I?" _

_"I'm not there now."_

_This had been happening for over a month. Draco wouldn't be able to sleep, he'd wander to some place he felt provided privacy, and would stumble across Potter. It was unending. _

_"Will you be there tomorrow?" _

_It was only when he felt the petite boy wasn't going to answer that he replied. Quiet, unsure words that rang in the silence. _

_"I don't know."_

_Draco bit his lip. He had been watching Potter since the third meeting. Watched him mostly push around his food and swallow little, trail after his friends silently, back off from the usual verbal spars, refuse lunch, drop further and further behind in classes, refuse dinner. His habits made it apparent he never slept either._

_Draco was unnaturally worried. _

_"Potter. Do you even know where you are?"_

_Harry didn't say anything for the rest of the night._

--::--

He was numb.

-Who made the Hippogriff mad?- Harry mused, drugged.

Groaning, the black unicorn opened blurry eyes. The lighting in his stall had been dimmed to the point of nonexistence, sunlight filtering over the door supplying the most visibility. Straw crinkled under him when he moved, and it wasn't entirely uncomfortable, just itchy. Not that he felt much below his neck. Hagrid must have given him a powerful Numbing Potion.

Straining to raise his neck, Harry attempted to observe his stall. It was a small square but not small enough he started to panic. Something in his subconscious stirred at the enclosure. He wrote it off as the natural instinct to roam.

-Good morning, Harry Potter-

The greeting sent a rush of cold reality down his spine. Snorting, Harry scanned the beams holding the ceiling, and met golden orbs. Lounging, tail curling and uncurling with leisurely ease, the animagus Bellatrix was maneuvered directly above him.

As a prey animal, Harry struggled to flee. The potion was too strong however, and his legs just flopped uselessly. Harsh mocking laughter permeated the silence and scuffles.

-Ah. Is poor little Potter trapped? The half-breed practically hand delivered you to me- Bellatrix teased cruelly. She made no move to follow on her half-hearted threat. -Are you enjoying the body my master choice for you, Harry Potter?-

Defenseless, waiting for the final blow, Harry felt injustice broil in his chest. It bloomed, engraining seeds of hate and helpless despair in his veins. This was not a glorified way to die, and there was nothing Harry wanted more at that exact moment than to live.

-Quite. Why don't you slither back and tell Tom thanks for me?- Harry retorted, and for a split second, her sneer drooped. Then it returned, revealing pink fangs to the slivers of sunlight through the boards.

-I see you have a tongue, but is there venom? Or are you merely barking?- Bellatrix leaned down, the scruff at the base of her neck bristling. -Tell me, Boy-Who-Lived, how does it feel to know not one of those precious people you care about can save you? My master has plotted well, and long. There is no running from this, and when you are dead and decayed, we will rise above those pathetic muggles, and slaughter the mudbloods that mar our heritage!-

-'We'? Bellatrix, you're getting ahead of yourself. Only Tom will have power- Harry murmured slyly. The panther went rigid, golden eyes wide in outrage.

She snarled, rising to a crouch. Despite himself, Harry quaked at the ripple of muscle beneath her deceiving coat.

-Petty words will not stop me, Potter. You may be safe in this barn and on this soil, but the minute the call of the forest becomes too strong, you are mine. Oh, and it will. It is the beauty of unicorn blood. You see, no magical creature can be contained for long, whether against its will or not- Bellatrix hissed, stretched indulgently. Her smirk was acrid, claws shredding gouges in the wooden beam.

-We shall see how long you last, unicorn-

Cumbersome footsteps reached Harry's sensitive hearing, and he tilted an ear. Hagrid was the one person he could think of that could be so heavy the straw would vibrate.

Returning his gaze to the ceiling, he was unsurprised to see emptiness.

"Eh! Awake, are ye? Good!" The bearded man boomed, clapping massive hands together in excitement. Shuffling thoughts of Voldemort's plan aside for later digestion, Harry gaped. He hadn't seen Hagrid so positively delighted in years. _He's mad! _For all the half-giant knew, Harry was a psychotic unicorn that went on mass rampages. It was not in favor of his nature, but still. He was a wild animal, and magical no less.

Harry briefly wondered how Gawp was fairing.

-I'm a unicorn, Bellatrix wants to eat me, Voldemort is plotting deviously, and the Wizarding World probably thinks I've been had- Harry remarked pulling his legs closer. -My life…it's out to get me!-

A little melodramatic but even the stoutest Gryffindor would quail under the circumstances. _And I even have Slytherin in me._ Harry suddenly had the desire to laugh and laugh until he couldn't see.

"Ye all right there, boy? Snape's potions can be tough. Even Pomfrey didna know what else ta do." Hagrid said, babbling. Although Harry was actually a rather tame unicorn, because he wasn't a unicorn, he found Hagrid maddening. The smile was innocent and loving, as only a very open-minded man could be. He had a child's ability to love unconditional and unrequitedly.

Harry whickered softly.

Abruptly, he didn't feel quite so alone.

--::--

A Thestral shrieked, warring with another male across the aisle. This of course started off the entire barn, nearly two dozen screaming creatures of death. It was the same, every hour or two. Even though they never got within ten feet of each other, even though bars lay around their stalls, even though they never really saw the other!

Harry moaned.

There was nothing worse than enhanced hearing in an enclosed space. If anything, the bedding seemed to ricochet the sound back into open air. The gods hated him, he was sure of it.

-Be quiet!- He shouted, a piercing whinny cutting the sound and sending a hush down the stalls. The Thestrals did not know what to make of the strange horned animal sharing their home. They knew he was a unicorn, and black at that, but they also knew him for a human. It was Men that gave them orders, and treats.

Should they listen to him too?

Harry moaned again, when the Thestrals renewed the shrieking.

Down the aisle, the door slide open with a terrible clamor. Relieved, Harry exploded up from his small pool of straw, straining his head over the stall. _Thank Merlin for the lack of bars!_ Hagrid was stepping into the dim settings, light spilling around his bulky frame. He had promised Harry freedom soon, a paddock or pasture or anything! The ex-wizard was desperate enough to take a walk, rope or no rope.

His inner Slytherin suggested flight.

_bellatrix_

Her threat lay heavy in his mind. Harry had considered it, for a while, and come to the conclusion he had to stay at Hogwarts. Obviously. Yet if she hadn't been lying, and the call of the forest did overcome him, he had a problem. The unicorn's basic instincts were more potent than his logic and common sense. It wasn't really his body, just 'borrowed'.

Indefinitely.

-Hagrid, you're late! These Thestrals are making me mad. If you don't get me out of here, I'll likely turn into the new Voldemort and kill them all!- Harry serenaded the half-giant with a wave of complaints. While he couldn't understand the unicorn stallion, it felt good to Harry to speak English.

Hagrid chuckled at the enthusiastic neighs.

"Do ya know wha day it is, then? Easy there! Ya aren't healed all the way! Canna have ye runnin' off on me."

-What's that supposed to—Oh no- Harry glanced down to the bundle he carried. It jingled slightly with each step, and Hagrid raised it closer to his face when he was next to the stall. The bridle, a lovely piece of black leather, was certainly delicate. However, one sniff and the magic spelled into its buckles burned down his throat. There were so many spells of keeping on it that Harry nearly passed out.

-I mean it, no!- Harry tossed his head, banging his horn uncomfortably on the ceiling. Wincing, he shook off the stars in his eyes and the water blurring his sight.

"Easy there, boy. It ain't gonna hurt ye!" Hagrid cried, pained to see the clearly hysterical animal. "Its okay, there, easy! Easy now!"

"Hagrid? Do you need help?" The hesitant, female voice drifted down the barn, reaching Harry's ears. He immediately stopped flailing, head perked. Unwittingly, he propelled himself to see out the stall.

-Hermione?!-

Hagrid, not one to miss a chance, struck. A swoop of his hands and he had the buckle latched. Stunned, the stallion blinked. _Wha…_ He moved and an unfamiliar weight pulled his face down slightly. Feather light, it dragged at the skin behind his ears, and lay precisely beneath the base of his horn. In his peripheral vision, Harry caught the glimmer of polished leather.

"There ye are, ya brute. Come on out. Stand back now, Hermione," Hagrid called, unbolting the stall door. "All ye, move away. He'll be ah runner!"

Still out of it a bit, Harry saw the stall door swing open. It was a foreign thing, to see freedom so carefully contrived at his feet. Lowering his head and blowing heavily at the stone aisle way, he gradually placed a hoof forward. Colder than his straw bedding, it caused a certain firmness that was strikingly safe.

-Right. Just a little concrete, nothing big- Harry reassured, and lunged into the open barn. Thestrals snorted and rattled in their stalls uncertainly, finally catching a full glimpse of the unicorn. The raw magic that radiated off his coat and horn was purely light magic.

Rolling the whites of his eyes, Harry stiffened. His hooves were now a separate part of his body, clanging alarmingly. _Easy Harry! It's your hooves making that sound!_ He dropped his head, staring suspiciously at the ground. When he lifted a leg and dropped it, the same sound resonated. Problem solved.

"Oh my…"

-Hermione- Harry gasped, having forgotten his friend's presence. Turning slightly, though it felt weird to turn sideways to do so, shadows pulled away from the light. Hermione, hair still bushy, had covered her mouth with two shaking hands, awed. Draco, Remus and Sirius hovered behind her, staring blatantly. The werewolf was taken aback, amber gaze flinty.

-Draco!- Harry laughed, but reining himself instantly. There was no recognition in his gray eyes, not the soft emotion he often gave the petite wizard. There was only a unicorn before him, pawing the stone and taking in the surroundings.

He certainly didn't care for the animal, however immortal.

Turning his gaze away before it became too agonizing, Harry smiled gently at his godfather. The man had a childish wonder on his worn face, a youthful gleam in his eyes. He was tugging on Remus's shirt, smiling and pointing.

"Remus! Would you look at him."

Hagrid scratched his head in confusion. He had never seen a wild animal that refused to run away.

"Ho there, boy! Out ye get!" He whistled, whacking his hands startlingly. Harry danced forward, before slamming into a full gallop. His hind leg constricted tightly but didn't give out. Hagrid's healing had done a miracle for Bellatrix's inflictions. There was barely a scar to outline his near murder.

Charging past the group of people, all four huddled against the wall, his hooves landed in fresh dirt. The feel of the earth was intoxicating. Whinnying, Harry twisted and changed direction, a scathing need for the magic of the forest rising. It had come from nowhere, and Harry struggled to pull himself up.

His body kept moving.

Harry fell flat on his face.

With a shout, he shook of the dust coating him and rose. Strange, there wasn't a root in the path. In the days he had been fleeing the Death Eaters, he had tripped only once, in the beginning of his change. Unicorns were born with a natural grace.

Hagrid's laughter, not unkind, floated on the breeze.

"Now there's somethin' ye don' see every day!"

Draco had come up to flank his right side, baffled.

"What stopped him?"

"His halter," Hermione replied, interrupting Hagrid. She had figured it out the moment it had been placed on his head, glowing an imperceptible white. "It's spelled to keep him within the wards of Hogwarts. Right, Hagrid?"

A ripple of relief burst in Harry while his unicorn mind would have none of it. Crying in disbelief, he ran down the length of the field, always held back by an invisible wall.

"Well, I'll leave 'im. Gotta feed Fang, and, ah, visit the forest a bit. You all be careful round 'im. He's a pretty thing, but wild." Hagrid said his farewells, hurrying off rather quickly. Hermione giggled secretively, knowing intimately where he was headed.

Harry narrowed his eyes, figuratively speaking. How dare he put a magical halter on him, and leave?

Too busy fuming, he hadn't noticed Sirius's approach. Apparently no one else had either, because a chorus of shouts arose. Observing the fugitive, feet from him, Harry tossed strands of black forelock from his eye. A similar awe had come over Sirius's expression that had previously belonged to Hermione.

Odd, but he knew why Sirius allowed the enthrallment. Caged in Azkaban for over a decade, forced to feed on terror and bitterness, the purity Harry exuded was mind-boggling. No unicorn could resist a tortured soul, especially one that had so much kindness remaining.

Harry couldn't heal him but his presence was like a salve, easing aches the man didn't realize he had.

-Hello Sirius- Harry greeted with a gusty sound. The man held out a thin hand, tanned from his new contact with the sun. Stretching his neck out, Harry allowed the pats on his nose. Telling himself not to spook as the others came down the incline, he sighed. It felt good to see his last living family member, unicorn form or not.

"But Hagrid said he was wild," Hermione said.

"Perhaps he caters to a different kind of wildness." Remus offered, and Harry pinned his ears. Recoiling, his muscles seized with adrenaline. The werewolf had an unmistakably stark smell up close. Sirius lowered his arm, puzzled by the drastic change in demeanor.

Remus seemed to understand, because he retreated.

"Sorry. I forgot I must be scary for a prey animal."

"Remy—" Sirius started, sadness coloring his face. Guilt washed over Harry, and bucking up, he took a deep breath. As a wizard, there had never been any problems involving his wolf tendencies. He refused to let them get in the way now.

Striding forward, barreling past Sirius, he nudged his nose hard into Remus's chest. He was touched by wild magic, old magic. Harry recognized it intuitively in himself. While his was gifted, or cursed, the unicorn had always belonged to it. Rejecting a fellow magic-user was foolish. _Now I'm even thinking like a unicorn._

Basking in the joy on Remus's tired face, he hoped he wouldn't completely lose himself.

--::--

"I was looking through a book once, about an ancient Roman knight. He had a warhorse," Hermione said. "Black as night with courage to boot. The horse was named Ferox, which in Latin mean courageous, or arrogant."

By now she had caught everyone's attention. Lower in the field, out of hearing range, Harry was giving the sprouts of grass an evil glare. He was very hungry.

"It might be a good name for him, don't you think?" She asked, and Draco dropped the handful of mashed grass. Remus paused in his reading, looking toward the sky thoughtfully.

"Ferox. Yes, it has a certain majesty to it."

Face covered by his arms, sprawled inelegantly across the grass, Sirius nodded.

"Good pick, Hermione," Draco said, laughing when she ripped out a chunk of grass and tossed it towards him. He cried out indignantly, brushing from his blonde hair.

"No! It took me forever to get my hair right!" Draco whimpered. He had long since abandoned gel, instead letting his bangs fall in his eyes idly. About ready to simply chop it off three months ago, he had decided to keep it when Harry had complimented it.

Meanwhile, entranced by the lush greener around his hooves, Harry gave in to defeat. It wasn't like Hagrid would be supplying steaks or fruit. No need for them to think he was a carnivorous unicorn. It would raise some nasty questions.

Squinting his eyes, Harry took a large mouthful of grass and tugged. The rich taste of dirt lavished his tongue. With a mournful cry, he spat it back out, hacking up chunks of roots that had lodged behind his two back teeth.

-That was awful!-

The four blinked owlishly at the stallion.

"Well," Sirius exclaimed, having risen at the enraged cry. "He's a unique one."

Hermione grinned wanly, a shadow crossing her face.

"Reminds me a bit of Harry." Remus, having turned to stare, opened his mouth carefully. Surveying the unicorn, and recalling his first reaction outside the Great Hall three days ago, grunted under his breath.

"Yeah. Yeah, kind of."

Distantly, the distinct whistle of a train reached Harry's ears, disrupting his attempted graze. _Hogwarts Express. At least I know what day it is._ He mused, staring in the general direction he knew the train would arrive.

Dumbledore would be on it.

His magic was unique, for a human. Stretching through great distances, it saturated the atmosphere, rising to impossible zeniths. A drugged mood floated over his mind, calming. It pulled Harry's consciousness, mapping paths and ideas and lives in a string of loops. Albus Dumbledore was old and the Light on him tasted like ancient power. A power another one of his kind-no, another unicorn-might so possess.

-He'll know me. He'll know me, and he'll know how to fix this- That driving realization struck like a blow. Disregarding the consequences, as he so often did, Harry hurtled forward on swift hooves.

If he was not fast, Dumbledore would vanish inside the castle.

And hope would dwindle.

AN: WHERE THE HELL IS THIS GOING?! TT I HATE these kind of stories…


	4. Forgetfulness is Key

**Forgetfulness is Key**

Well I was moving at the speed of sound.  
Head-spinning, couldn't find my way around, and  
Didn't know that I was going down.  
Yeah, yeah.  
Where I've been, well it's all a blur.  
What I was looking for, I'm not sure.  
Too late and didn't see it coming.

-"Crashed" by Chris Daughtry

--::--

Albus Dumbledore felt _old._

He was no fool. Time ran its course on all, no matter what magics or curses were chosen to lengthen life. When the end arrived, there was no denying its greeting. While it was highly unlikely he was close to death, he wondered how far off it could be. Was it that glimmer on the horizon, reshaping and molding into an unforgiving sun? Or was it the tinker of the train, puttering along a track destined for only one stop? Sometime during the last month, he had found himself wanting it, the final rest. Wars had come and gone in his lifetime, great men had risen and fallen to rise thrice in the throes of darkness.

Voldemort himself could not cheat death. A plethora of pretences and half-truths were his reality. Not even the Philosopher's Stone had granted the eternal life some desired.

He did not fear the unknown.

In all history, a single individual had truly and irreversible cheated the grim.

"Albus, we've arrived. The train has stopped."

And he was missing.

"So sorry, Minerva." Dumbledore smiled apologetically, removed from a line of darker thoughts. "Any word from our friend Snuffles?"

If possible, her face pinched tighter. Minerva McGonagall still, although the urge to sigh and shake her head despondently was encompassing. Harboring a fugitive at Grimmauld Place was one mishap but keeping him close within Hogwarts, surrounded by gossipy children and overly knowing portraits was another. There was a time when she would have protested strongly against such risky actions. The loss of Harry Potter had however dulled her opinionated nature for favor of empathy.

"No. I believe he has been working with Severus and Ms. Granger on the Locator Potion." Minerva said, standing. "There is as of yet no progress made. Severus is waiting the arrival of a new ingredient. It should come any day."

Dumbledore nodded, standing and shuffling his wand deeper in his pocket. His colleague sent a somewhat exasperated but curious glance over her stiff shoulder.

"Albus, why are you on this train? I myself have not ridden this blasted machine since my school days." She narrowed her eyes. "Allow me to inform you: that was a very long time ago."

Chuckling lightly, he stepped into the bright sunlight. The bustle of students greeted friends and housemates was intimidating. The entire courtyard was brimming with Slytherins sneering at Gryffindors, and Hufflepuffs squealing at detached Ravenclaws. Dumbledore was proud to say they were having their childhood. In all likelihood the war would ruin lives after Hogwarts, and touch each one.

Minerva halted at his side.

"Ah, but this is why. My dear, it is revitalizing to come and remember why we strive to teach. This is what we are protecting at Hogwarts. After everything, this is what I needed most."

--::--

_Green eyes wavered. "Sorry. I forgot how sensitive you were."_

_"Sensitive? Harry, you just surprised me is all. It's been a while since I've had a good reason to-"_

_"Are you about to insult me? I'd rather you not." _

"Ferox! Wait, Ferox!"

Harry crashed down the lane, hooves slapping the cobblestones with each long-legged stride. He had not demanded speed like this since his continuous flight from the Death Eaters. Following the last few hours of slight pains in his leg, running so fast seemed impossible. Such a thing for an average creature would in fact be a large feat.

Three days ago Harry had almost died.

Sooner than expected, the Hogwarts Express loomed around a corner, trees parting to reveal the gathering of students. First years were easy to pick out. They stood huddled in tight-knit clusters, gazing around in a mix of alarm and excitement at the new surroundings.

Longing inveigled. If he was in any sort of poetic mood, he would dare say his heartstrings were contracting in an elegy of beautiful but tentative lyrics. Harry knew better, and stopped sentimental wonders instantly. To succeed in gaining Dumbledore's interest he would need a surprising amount of daring, and luck.

Fortunately, Harry Potter always lugged about some luck for spare usage.

_Please, please, recognize me! _Harry hoped, and prayed, as he finally came to his goal.

Dumbledore's power weaved inexplicably throughout the masses.

A sixth year Ravenclaw he barely knew saw his approach first. Mouth agape, she smacked her closest friend hard, knocking books to the ground. Pausing mid rant to see what the pale girl was ogling, she froze with owl eyes. It started in every house, one by one noticing the black unicorn cantering toward them, haltered but alone.

Someone screamed in giddiness.

-Where is he?- Harry hissed, roving over the students but finding no purple hat or twinkling eyes or ridiculous lemon drops… Surely he was still present. The magic of Albus Dumbledore was intoxicating, making Harry snort uneasily. A pleasant replacement for one of Professor Snape's Pepper-Up Potions.

The black halter clanged on his cheekbone when he shifted sideways, tripping on polished ebony hooves.

Hagrid immediately withdrew.

Watching the half-giant closely now, Harry steered clear. Out of arms reach, the Magical Creature expert had no chance of ruining what was possibly the most important thing he would ever do.

Beside killing Voldemort, of course.

-Hagrid, where's Dumbledore? I know he's here, where is he?- Harry said, pawing the stones. -Damn it, understand me!-

Frustration fueled his urgency. A sharp whinny bit the muggy air and left behind a sudden nervous tension. Where awe had claimed the students they now were wary. Any animal Hagrid had no control over was a dangerous one.

Where was that manipulative man?

_there_

Harry charged. Students converged, folding in on each other to make room for the stallion, seventh years holding back quaking first years. His horn glittered in the daylight, two feet of impressive spiraling translucency. Emerald orbs goaded the humans, wanting the fight that might come from his provocations.

Dumbledore met him without a flinch. Skidding to a stop, spraying rubble on the hem of black robes, Harry shook hair off the scar on his forehead. It was there. He could only hope the wise old wizard acknowledged it for what it was.

Proof.

-Professor, can you understand me?- Harry asked hopefully. No twinkle entered the cerulean eyes, no spark. -No one can understand me, but this is important. I need your help. Voldemort is planning something, something big, and if I don't get out of this body he'll get it. Please-

Stooped and obviously fearing no threat, Dumbledore grinned. It was weak and watery.

"Come to greet me? Unicorns are creatures of peace and are addressed as animals of ageless beauty." His voice rose to reflect on the listening audience. "A black unicorn however is a creature of divinity. Their rareness merely accentuates the mystery surrounding their existence." Dumbledore leaned in; his breath smelled of muggle candy. "Are you a harbinger of death? Are you foretelling the end of something, or perhaps the loss of someone?"

His words rocked Harry to the core. Recoiling on sprawled legs, he shuddered.

-You think…I came to predict my death?-

Horror bruised a path down his thoughts, trailing into a bleak subconscious.

"It has been a very long time since I had seen what was lost. Tell me, black beauty, is he forever gone?"

Harry worried, abruptly, utterly, for the sanity of Albus Dumbledore.

"Ferox!"

A gnarled hand reached out for his nose, slowly but not hesitating. The rushed footsteps came up from behind him. Enthralled, Harry did not have the energy to care to look. Only the hand, and the magic…

Dumbledore touched Harry—

_A pause that is graced with an overly confused stare. _

_"Afraid of an insult? I've said worse, I can assure you."_

_"Of that I have no doubt. No, I'm not afraid of what you might say. I'm afraid of what you might mean." Silver eyes widened, then closed. _

—And the sky imploded.

--::--

_Where am I? _

_Harry groaned, reaching up to hold his pounding head. A dull grinding was coming from his scar, like someone was attempting to dig their way into his mind. Not exactly painfully, it made his eyes water and his sinuses sting. _

_Stop it. _

_The feeling retreated. _

_Satisfied, the wizard glanced around. He was—_

_-"Good evening," Hisses. "Harry Potter."_

_The aforementioned boy jolted, knocking an inkbottle off the stand. It clattered to the parchment, masking the essay written across its surface. Harry didn't try and save it. Turning, rigid and tense, he met two glittery scarlet eyes. _

_Voldemort was seated on his bed, quite relaxed. Menace warred with triumph in his stare. _

_"Homework, Harry? My, my. I was informed you cared little for any school work." A sneer graced his lipless mouth. "In fact, I was under the impression you cared for nothing but friends and Quidditch. How wrong I have been, hmm?" _

_Harry's wand was locked downstairs. Unarmed, he doubted he stood any chance against the Dark Lord. Prickles traveled across his scar. _

_"What do you want?" _

_Voldemort laughed as if he had told him mudbloods were people too. An insane, mocking laugh that ridiculed Harry's bravado. _

_"Honestly, Potter. I merely want to talk." His gaze turned icy. "How have you been? Is my life still giving you nightmares? I have been trying harder to torture more people you know. Anything to make you cry."_

_"I don't cry," he lied. _

_Tilting his head, the slits where as nose would normally be, flared. Voldemort sighed woefully. _

_"Harry, when will you ever learn? You can't lie to me."-_

_—Dreaming. _

_That never happened. _

_Harry trembled, clasping very human fingers tightly. The memory felt real, felt vivid. To an outsider, it would be like every other memory they found in his mind. _

_It was fake. That was the only explanation. Voldemort had never visited him in the middle of the night, never seen his room in Number Four Privet Drive. _

_What's going on? _

_Magic glistened, a fresh coat of paint over his sleeping mind. Was he really asleep, or was it all fiction? _

_Can I be asleep but awake? _

--::--

_"Harry, I would never lie to you." _

_"I know, which is why I don't want you to finish that sentence, insult or not."_

_"Why?" _

_"Because—I don't love you yet."_


End file.
